Phantoms update:
1/5 – 3-2 SO LOSS
1/6 – 3-1 LOSS
Philippe Myers (D): 2 GP, 3 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
All’s quiet for Myers this week as the Phantoms don’t put up much on the scoreboard. The rookie defenseman has 29 shots in 20 games this season.
Mark Friedman (D): 2 GP, 2 shots
2014 3rd Round Pick, 86th overall
Speaking of throwing up a lot of shots (59 in 34 games) without the results. Despite the lack of goals/points (0 G, 9 A), he is still managing to put up a 5.01 CF%Rel thus far.
Danick Martel (LW): 2 GP, 4 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
Martel is mired in his longest goal scoring drought of the season. His last tally was back on 12/20 and has been stuck at 17 goals since.
Mike Vecchione (C): 2 GP, 6 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
Nothing going on for Vex, though he did have 5 shots in Friday’s game. He has 23 points (8 G, 15 A) in 31 games.
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (RW): 2 GP, 4 shots, 2 PIM
2014 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
NAK remains at 22 points (9 G, 13 A) in 37 games.
Oskar Lindblom (LW): 2 GP, 1 goal, 10 shots
2014 5th Round Pick, 138th overall
Finally something to actually report! Lindblom scored his 12th of the season on this goal and has 5 goals in his last 7 games to boot. The talented winger has 26 points in 37 games this season, including 87 shots on goal.
Alex Lyon (G): 1 GP, 2 GA, 35 saves
Undrafted Free Agent
Alex Lyon played in the 1/5 SO loss, allowing the first two attempts to score in the shootout (the Phantoms skaters failed to net any in the skills competition). Despite this, Lyon has come on hot as of late, putting up save percentages of 0.913, 0.966, 0.929 and 0.946 in his last 4 games. These are positive develops has his SV% climbs out of the gutter (0.904).
Phantoms Notes: Samuel Morin (D) and Mikhail Vorobyev (C) both remain out with injuries.
Notable Canadian junior performers this week:
Connor Bunnaman (C/LW), Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2016 4th Round Pick, 109th overall
An odd week for the Rangers captain, who is now point-less in his last 4 games. He remains at 35 points (17 G, 18 A) in 38 games.
Anthony Salinitri (LW/C), Sarnia Sting (OHL)
2016 6th Round Pick, 172nd overall
Another “0”fer for an OHL prospect last week. Salinitri can be a bit streaky as he’s had point-less droughts of 3 and 6 games this season. The 4th year OHLer has 35 points (16 G, 19 A) in 41 GP.
Morgan Frost (C), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2017 1st Round Pick, 27th overall
- 1/4 – 1 goal, 8 shots, 2 PIM, 10 for 22 FOW
- 1/5 – 1 assist, 3 shots, 13 for 23 FOW
- 1/7 – 2 goals, 1 assist, 5 shots, 2 PIM, 11 for 19 FOW/
I’m afraid there won’t be enough helium left in the world to fill this Frost-hype. He leads the OHL in points with 65 (24 G, 41 A) in 39 games. He is looking like he could be a special player at the next level. Here are his 23rd and 24th goals of the season.
Isaac Ratcliffe (LW), Guelph Storm (OHL)
2017 2nd Round Pick, 35th overall
It was shaping up to be a disappointing week for Ratcliffe before Sunday’s game in which he scored his 19th goal of the season. The hulking winger has 136 SOG in 38 games.
Matthew Strome (LW), Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 106th overall
He has as many goals as Morgan Frost, but remains in his icy shadow. Strome has 43 points (24 G, 19 A) in 38 games. He’s in his 3rd season in the OHL and may well eclipse his career-highs in goals (34) and points (62) by the end of the season. Here is one of his goals from last week.
Maksim Sushko (RW), Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 107th overall
You may have seen that Sushko had an impressive showing at the WJC for Team Belarus with 8 points (2 G, 6 A) in 6 games. He continued his coming out party with another 3 goals this weekend for the Attack to give him 19 goals for the season. That is 30 points in 30 games for the 2nd year OHLer.
Carsen Twarynski (LW), Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
2016 3rd Round Pick, 82nd overall
- 1/3 – 2 goals, 1 assist, 5 shots, 2 PIM, 0 for 1 FOW
- 1/5 – 1 goal, 3 shots, 3 for 4 FOW
- 1/7 – 3 shots, 2 PIM, 1 for 1/
Twarynski’s WHL farewell tour has been fun to follow this season. The 4th year junior player has 43 points (27 G, 16 A) in 37 games. The 27 goals are a career-high and he is just 2 points from tying his highest points total.
Carter Hart (G), Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
Carter Hart gets a well deserved break after taking Team Canada to the Gold Medal game of the World Junior Championships and winning it. He had a .930 SV% in 6 games.
Pascal Laberge (C), Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 36th overall
- 1/5 – 2 goals, 9 shots, 2 for 2 FOW
- 1/6 – 6 shots, 2 for 4 FOW
- 1/7 – 1 assist, 1 shot, 2 PIM, 2 for 5 FOW/
Laberge gets his first two goals for his new team. He has 3 points (2 G, 1 A) in 6 games with his new club. He has 23 points (8 G, 15) in 37 games overall this season. Here is one of his goals from Friday.
German Rubtsov (C), Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
2016 1st Round Pick, 22nd overall
Rubtsov was able to represent Team Russia at the WJC and had 4 points (1 G, 3 A) in 5 games before being eliminated. He rejoined Acadie-Bathurst and scores his 9th goal of the season to go along with his 19 assists. While we may have expected a more dominating performance both this regular season and in the WJC, Rubtsov seems to be adjusting well and should continue to improve as the season goes along.
Notable European performers this week
Linus Högberg (D), Växjö Lakers HC (SHL)
2016 5th Round Pick, 139th overall
- 1/4 – DNP
- 1/6 – DNP/
Högberg also representing his country (Sweden) at the WJC. He finished with a +3 rating in 7 games. He should re-join Växjö this week.
David Bernhardt (D), Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
2016 7th Round Pick, 199th overall
Bernhardt picks up his 3rd assist of the season. He has 4 points in 32 games this season.
David Kaše (C/W), Mora IK (SHL)
2015 5th Round Pick, 128th overall
- 1/2 – 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots, 13:11 TOI
- 1/4 – 1 goal, 1 shot, 14:05 TOI
- 1/6 – 3 shots, 17:23 TOI/
Extremely positive developments for the 20 year old Czech player. Kase is now up to 14 points (5 G, 9 A) in 25 games in his first season in the SHL. That puts him in the top 100 in SHL scoring.
Olle Lycksell (RW/C), Linköping HC (SHL)
2017 6th Round Pick, 168th overall
This is admittedly decent production from Lycksell given his average time-on-ice. With Linköping he has 3 goals and 1 assist in 16 games as an 18 year old.
Ivan Fedotov (G), Toros Neftekamsk (VHL)
2015 7th Round Pick, 188th overall
- 1/6 – 1 GA, 19 saves/
A win is a win I suppose. The 21 year old has a .898 SV% in 21 games for Toros.
Kirill Ustimenko (G), MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
2017 3rd Round Pick, 80th overall
No updates for Ustimenko as it appears he hasn’t played since 12/28 when he was pulled from a game early.
Euro Notes: Felix Sandström (G) remains out of action, but has recently been loaned out to a junior club to begin rehab.
Notable NCAA and USHL performers this week:
Tanner Laczynski (RW/C), Ohio State University
2016 6th Round Pick, 169th overall
Laczynski is perhaps just as exciting a prospect as Wade Allison is at this point. Here is his unassisted goal from Friday. He has 29 points (10 G, 19 A) in 20 games, 1 point off the NCAA-lead.
Cooper Marody (C), University of Michigan
2015 6th Round Pick, 158th overall
- 1/2 – 3 goals, 7 shots, 13 for 24 FOW
- 1/5 – 1 assist, 2 shots, 7 for 14 FOW
- 1/7 – 2 shots, 8 for 17 FOW/
Check out all of Marody’s hat trick goals here. The junior now has 29 points (7 G, 22 A) in 20 games. His 22 assists lead the NCAA and he is just 1 point off the league-lead.
Brendan Warren (LW), University of Michigan
2015 3rd Round Pick, 81st overall
Perhaps the Flyers could have gotten Anthony Duclair back instead of Warren in the Nick Cousins trade from this past offseason. The winger has only 7 points in 20 games.
Wyatt Kalynuk (D), University of Wisconsin
2017 7th Round Pick, 196th overall
Make that 17 points (1 G, 16 A) for Kalynuk this season. His 16 assists are tied for most in the NCAA among defenseman.
Terrance Amorosa (D), Clarkson University
2013 5th Round Pick, 132nd overall
- 1/2 – 1 goal, 2 shots, 2 PIM/
Amorosa passes his career-high in goals (5) and ties his highest point total (16). The senior keeps putting up points in hopes that it gets him an ELC with the Flyers at season’s end.
Noah Cates (LW), Omaha Lancers (USHL)
2017 5th Round Pick, 137th overall
More points for Cates, who now has 19 points (6 G, 13 A) in 26 games and is currently riding a 4-game point streak (0 G, 5 A).
Matej Tomek (G), Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 90th overall
- 1/5 – 3 GA, 17 saves/
Tomek gets his team to OT, but falls in the extra frame. He has a .908 SV% in 14 games, but has played much better in recent weeks.
NCAA Notes: No games for Wade Allison this week. His competition at the top of the NCAA scoring ranks likely appreciated it.
